Sweetheart Abbey

Last Thursday we had a trip to Scotland to Sandyhills in Dumfrieshire. We stopped at New Abbey and had lunch overlooking Sweetheart Abbey. You need to spend time looking at architecture to see the detail and the skills of the craftsmen. These are the information boards about the area.

A history of the Abbey.

New Abbey is along the Solway estuary

The surrounding area.

More information

Sweetheart Abbey is a ruin.

Look at the detail

It must have looked very attractive in it's heyday.

These gates would not hold back invaders

A large part of the Abbey remains.

Gothic and Roman arches

This hill is called the Criffel and is 750 metres high. You can see it from England.

Look how round topped the hill is, like a child's drawing

An old wagon by the mill.

Has anyone seen my horse?

New Abbey village has some very old houses. For example this white house.

Situated down a side street

The green house looks as if it might have been a shop. Single storey cottages are typical of Scotland.

What did the shop sell?

You could imagine a pony and trap along this street in times gone by.

Sweetheart Abbey in the background

Sunnyhill beach was amazing. The tide was fully out when we arrived so we were able to walk along the beach. You had to be careful as the tide came in very quickly at different points of the beach.

A lovely soft sand beach

Rocks on the beach with the sea in the far distance.

You can just make out the sea on the horizon

The rock was as black as coal and the water made the rock shimmer.

Amazing colours accentuated by the water

 In places the rock strata was cracked into small segments.

The rock looks metallic

Some rocks were in layers like pancakes.

Layers of rock

Slices of rock

Cave formations were found along the beach. Half a cave. 

Enter if you dare

An overhanging cave.

Copper staining the rock

Lichen on the rock.

Curves and twists

Glowing rocks.

The rock looks as if it has been polished

Stunning.

Pinks purples golds and black

A mass of cockle shells washed up on the shore.

How many shells can you see?

Raven Ramblings

Last week the snow started to melt. On my drive up Hartside I entered what looked like Arthur's Kingdom. There was thick mist in the Eden Valley. When I was half way up the hill the sky became clear blue and I was able to look down onto the enveloping mist with the Lakeland hills just peeping above the horizon. It was very atmospheric and spectacular.

Magical

Drifting and floating

Coming back later that day the hills were covered in a light icing sugar dusting of snow.

Looking into the Eden Valley from Hartside cafe

Another view from Hartside cafe

In places the snow was still very deep especially on the roof of the Spar in Alston.

Don't stand, don't stand too close to me

I had a walk along the Raven in Kirkoswald. This is a very interesting walk at any time of the year.The waterfall at the start of the walk.

Plenty of water from thew snow melt

Looking at the Raven through the trees.

A small weir

The meandering Raven.

Catkins.

Hazel catkins

Snowdrops.

Snowdrops growing in the leaf litter

I tree enveloped in moss.

A tree in a moss cardigan

A tree that looks like an elephant's foot.

Tread carefully

Is this a witch's hand?

Ready to grab you

A prehistoric hen's foot.

A hen footprint

Frozen ice puddles.

A lobster of ice

Look at the movement and flow.

You can see the water below the surface

The morning and evening skies are fleetingly dramatic. Stunning sunrise and sunset.

Golden morning

A peach blushed sky

The owls I made with the Kirkoswald school children are now in  the Ravenbridge Stores window. This is the notice about the display.

An owlclamation

Hello can you see me?

Excuse me, you're cramping my view

There's no need to shout.

Did you hear the one about the owl and the pussycat?

Two clever.

Well what do four and four make?

Busy doing housework.

I only just tidied up yesterday, who's making all this mess?

Stars in their eyes.

The bright lights beckon

High flier.

Branching out

There's Snow Escape

A week last Wednesday we had snow. Since then it has frozen and turned into compacted ice. The Pennine hills and the Lakeland hills look stunning and continue to do so.
Looking towards Blencathra also know as Saddleback.

The Lakeland Alps 

Round topped hills.

Folded hills

Jagged hills.

Snow emphasises shapes and contours

Valleys and peaks

Snow clad fields.

The long view

Deep crunchy snow.

This snow was 20cm deep

At the entrance to Rookin Farm.

The hill shape is like a child's drawing

We saw people sledging and skiing. In Bryson's coffee shop in Keswick there was a snow castle cake.

Cake creations

Snowdrops just peeping through the depth of snow.

Snowdrops struggling to keep cheerful

Crocus like little jets of flame struggling for air.

Two lonely crocus

Snow on the lawn that has turned to ice.

Icescape

Snowdrops in the orchard of the Artful Garden.

A carpet of snowdrops

As the ground was semi frozen I added cow muck to my vegetable beds in preparation for this year's harvest. It is best to do this when the ground is partly frozen as then you do not walk off the plot with boots clarted in mud. A little robin came to investigate for worms.

A opportunist robin

Crazie Maizie is not looking very happy in the cold weather.

 Baby it's cold outside. It's no good when you a frozen to the spot and can't adjust your clothing

This is my latest pottery tile. I have been experimenting with slip trailing.

Daffodil design